Jack (given name)

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For other uses, see Jack (disambiguation).
Jack
Pronunciation dʒæk (jak)
Gender Male
Origin
Word/name Middle English, indirect diminutive of "John"
Other names
Related names John, Jacob, Jackie, James, Jackson, Johnny, Jacqueline, Jacques, Jake, Jay, Jayceon, Jaco, Jacobi

Jack /ˈdʒæk/ is a male given name, although in some cases it can be used as a female given name (a shortened versioned of "Jacqueline" or "Jackie", for example),[1] and sometimes as a surname. In English it is traditionally used as the diminutive form of the given name John, though it is also often given as a proper name in its own right. It can also sometimes be a nickname for Jonathan, Jackson, James, Jason, or Jacob.

The name Jack is unique in the English language for its frequency of use as a verb and a noun for many common objects and actions, and its use in many compound words and phrases, e.g.: apple jack, hijack, jack of clubs (playing card), jack straw (scarecrow), jack tar, jack-in-the-box, jack-of-all-trades, jack o'lantern, jackdraw, jackhammer, jackknife, jackpot, lumberjack, union jack, etc. The Encyclopædia Britannica article on the history of the word "jack" linked it directly to the common name: "Jack, a word with a great variety of meanings and applications, all traceable to the common use of the word as a by-name of a man." [2]

Origin

Jack is thought to harken back to Medieval times as a common derivative of the name John. The nickname has also been seen as Jackie among men (examples of note: Jackie Coogan, Jackie Cooper, and Jackie Gleason, all formally named John). This "Jackie" diminutive of the nickname Jack is thought by some to have hailed from the earlier "Jackin" (born of the appellation Jankin).[3][4] Alternatively, it may be derived from the name Jacques, the French form of the name Jacob.[3] There is also a theory that it is Celtic in origin, meaning "Healthy, Strong, Full of Vital Energy" (compare the Welsh word iach, "health"), from a putative Ancient British Jakkios.[5] Whatever its origin, both the name and the word "jack" were long used as a term to refer to any man, especially of the common classes.[2][6]

Frequency

Given name

In recent years (most notably since 2003), the nickname Jack (for the more formal John and, to a lesser extent, for Jacob) has become increasingly used as the actual formal name (i.e., baptismal name rather than a nickname) for boys in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United States, and Wales. Jack was included on lists of the most frequently used male baby names in the UK for 2003–2007.[7][8][9] The high status of Jack as a formal male given name (versus its traditional John-derivative) is a recent phenomenon, although the formal name from which it derives – John – has held the title, along with William, of most frequent male name throughout the 1880s and first half of the 1900s.[10] In 1994, "Jack" was the most popular name in London but does not appear among the top-10 most popular in the preceding 970 years.[10][not in citation given] A survey in December 2008 showed that Jack was the most popular name in the UK for the 14th year running, since it took over from Thomas in 1994.

In 2014, Jack was again the most popular name for baby boys in Ireland.[11]

In 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013, Jack was the most common boy's name in Australia.[12]

According to the United States Census of 1990, "Jack" is an uncommon American name, the given name for 0.315% of the male population and 0.001% of the female population.[1][13][14] However, the frequency of use of "Jack" as a baby name has steadily increased from the 160–170 rank prior to 1991 to a rank of 35 in 2006.[15]

Jock is the Scottish form of the name John. Its similarity to the common John derivative or nickname Jack is apparent.

Surname

The appearance of "Jack" as a surname is much less frequent than its use as a male given name. In 1990, in the United States, this surname is shared by about 0.007% of the population, though the geographical distribution of the surname has been broad since at least 1840, at which time there was a modest concentration of Jacks in Pennsylvania.[13][16][17] In the late 19th century, the geographic distribution of Jacks in England was also broad, with concentration in North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and southern North West England.[18] In 1891, the highest concentration of Jacks in the United Kingdom appeared in Scotland. The surname is considered almost exclusively Scottish.[19]

People with given name Jack

Fictional characters

  • Jack, an archetypal English hero

Comics

Film

Literature

Music

Songs

Nursery rhymes

Nicknames

Many people named Jack also have a different nick-name which usually says something about their personality, i.e. 'Mean Jack'.

Television

Video games

Mascots

Other uses

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[unreliable source?]
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 The male, female, and total populations of the United States in the 1990 census were 121,239,418; 127,470,455; and 248,709,873, respectively. Information from Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Popular baby names
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Retrieved 08-24-11
  20. ↑ https://twitter.com/JackHemsley4
  21. ↑ http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/jack-of-fables-vol-1-the-nearly-great-escape

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